Lucas Moura: "I believe in this team"

Lucas Moura remembers the feeling as he trudged out of St Mary’s after our last match back on 9 March. “Yes, a difficult moment for us,” he recalled after that loss against Southampton. Now, over two weeks down the line and with time to consider the bigger picture, he’s talking positively and raring to go for the rest of the season.

“I believe in this team,” stated the jet-heeled Brazilian. “We are still third in the Premier League. We’ve been up there all season and there are a lot of teams who can challenge for the top four, but we are there. We are also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. We have to believe.”

Lucas has certainly played his part in his first full season having joined us from PSG in January, 2018.

Named EA SPORTS Player of the Month in August for his performances in the Premier League, he’s now racked up 36 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals in the Premier League and two in the Champions League, including the crucial late equaliser against Barcelona in the Nou Camp back in December that booked our place in the knockout stages.

“I’m very happy,” he told us at Hotspur Way. “It’s my first (full) season in the Premier League and for me, it’s the most difficult championship in the world.

“I’ve played a lot of games, I’ve scored a few important goals for the team and the most important thing is to be ready to help because we have a very good squad and everyone can play, everyone can do a good job.

“It’s a long season, many games and the intensity is so high here but I feel very good physically and mentally. I’m happy with my Club, my team-mates and as I’ve always said, I believe in this team.”

As players begin to return from international duty this week, attentions will turn to a key phase of the season, the final lap.

And what games to come back to - Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday (4.30pm), Crystal Palace in our historic first Premier League game, including the Opening Ceremony, at our new stadium on Wednesday 3 April (7.45pm) and then Manchester City in the first Champions League match at our new home, the quarter-final first leg on Tuesday 9 April (8pm).

“For me, this is a moment to enjoy and to prepare well because we have big, big games on the way and we need to be ready,” added Lucas. “The most important thing for us is to be in the top four and to qualify for the Champions League again. We have the quality to do this.”